Man arrested Friday on murder warrant

A 63-year-old man was arrested Friday night on a murder warrant at a residence on the same road in the area of Big Hill where a suspected homicide victim was discovered Wednesday afternoon.

The warrant was issued by Tuolumne County Superior Court.

Jon David Starkweather, of an unknown address on Calle Quartz Road, was being held without bail as of Monday afternoon at the Dambacher Detention Center, according to jail booking logs from the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office.

Starkweather’s charges listed in the booking logs were first-degree murder, robbery, and conspiracy, following an arrest by the county Sheriff’s Office at 9:27 p.m. Friday on the 13300 block of Calle Quartz Road.

The Sheriff’s Office had not responded as of 5:30 p.m. Monday to questions from The Union Democrat asking whether the arrest was connected to the suspected murder of a man in the area of Calle Quartz Road on Wednesday.

Sheriff’s Investigator Ashley Boujikian said she would have to check in with detectives, and could provide a response either late Monday or early Tuesday.

On Thursday, the Sheriff’s Office issued a written statement announcing the body of a dead man was discovered about 3 p.m. Wednesday at a residence in the area of Calle Quartz Road.

The statement said Sheriff’s detectives and the coroner responded and ruled the man’s death as a homicide, though the agency has not identified the victim or released any additional information.

Anyone with information related to the suspected homicide was urged to contact the Sheriff’s Office investigations division at (209) 6942901.